SAPT
Container Terminal
South Asia Pakistan Terminals is a Hutchison Ports facility on Karachi Port — not, despite the name, at Port Qasim. Here's what to expect clearing cargo through it, and how Maalbardaar handles it end to end.
About SAPT
South Asia Pakistan Terminals is one of the more easily misplaced facilities in Pakistan’s port system, purely because of its name — a reasonable assumption is that a terminal called “South Asia Pakistan” sits at Port Qasim alongside QICT, but SAPT is in fact located at Karachi Port, at Keamari South, and does not appear anywhere in Port Qasim Authority’s own listing of the facilities operating there.
SAPT began operating in 2016, backed by a first-phase investment reported at around 600 million US dollars, and is run by Hutchison Ports Pakistan — the same group that operates KICT elsewhere on Karachi Port, giving Hutchison a presence at two separate terminals within the same port. It is frequently cited as one of the largest single container facilities in the country by design capacity, though the specific figure varies enough across sources that we present it as a widely reported estimate rather than a number confirmed on SAPT’s own site.
Practically, SAPT is also one of the more transparent terminals for anyone who wants to check on a shipment directly: its own site offers both a vessel berthing schedule and a container/bill-of-lading tracking tool, which is more than several of the older terminals provide.
SAPT: what to check before you ship
It is at Karachi Port, not Port Qasim. This is worth stating plainly because the name misleads people constantly. If your paperwork routes cargo to SAPT, you are heading to Keamari South at Karachi Port, not to Bin Qasim 35 kilometres east.
Published capacity figures should be treated as estimates. The commonly quoted 3.1 million TEU annual capacity is repeated widely in trade press, but it is not something SAPT states directly on its own site. Treat it as a strong industry estimate rather than an official number when making planning decisions.
You can track directly through the operator. SAPT’s own site offers both a vessel-on-berth schedule and container/BL tracking — worth bookmarking if you want a quick check without going through your carrier.
Same port, different operator from KICT. Both SAPT and KICT sit within Karachi Port and are both run by Hutchison Ports entities, but they are separate terminals with separate berths and separate gate operations — confirm which one your booking actually names.
Clearing and forwarding cargo through SAPT
Customs clearance
Our licensed clearing agents file your Goods Declaration through WeBOC and Pakistan Single Window for cargo moving through SAPT, with HS code classification handled up front to reduce assessment delays and demurrage risk.
Customs clearance services arrow_forwardFreight forwarding
Whether your shipment is arriving by sea or air, we coordinate the booking, inland pickup and CFS/CY delivery so cargo destined for SAPT lands where it needs to be — and moves on schedule once it clears.
Freight forwarding services arrow_forwardSAPT questions
Is South Asia Pakistan Terminals at Port Qasim?
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No — this is a common assumption given the name, but SAPT is located at Karachi Port, in Keamari South, not at Port Qasim. Port Qasim Authority's own list of facilities operating there does not include SAPT.
Who operates SAPT?
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Hutchison Ports Pakistan, part of the same Hutchison Ports network that operates Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) elsewhere on Karachi Port.
When did SAPT start operating?
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2016, following a first-phase investment reported at around 600 million US dollars.
How large is SAPT?
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Widely reported at around 3.1 million TEU of annual design capacity, which would make it one of the largest single facilities in the country — but this figure comes from secondary and trade-press sources rather than from SAPT's own site, so we present it as a commonly cited estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
Does SAPT offer online container tracking?
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Yes — sapt.com.pk provides both a vessel-on-berth schedule and a container/bill-of-lading tracking tool directly on its site.
Does Maalbardaar clear customs for shipments at SAPT?
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Yes. Our licensed clearing agents file Goods Declarations through WeBOC and Pakistan Single Window for cargo discharged at SAPT, and we coordinate freight forwarding for cargo destined there as part of the same booking.
Shipping through SAPT?
Get a quote for customs clearance and freight forwarding through this facility, handled by a licensed local team.
Shipping through somewhere other than SAPT?
Operators
Maalbardaar provides customs clearance and freight forwarding services for cargo moving through SAPT. We are not affiliated with Hutchison Ports Pakistan or with the operator or authority of this facility, and this page is independent, informational content rather than an official listing. For official information, visit SAPT's own website . Facility data sources: SAPT's own site (sapt.com.pk), which confirms the Keamari South address and offers vessel-on-berth schedule and container/BL tracking tools directly. Operator confirmed as Hutchison Ports Pakistan, and location confirmed to be within Karachi Port rather than Port Qasim (SAPT is absent from Port Qasim Authority's own facilities listing). Exact berth count, quay length, draft and the widely reported 3.1 million TEU capacity figure could not be confirmed on the operator's own site and conflict across secondary sources describing different expansion phases — described qualitatively rather than published as a single figure.